


Before the Refiner's Fire

by innocent_until_proven_geeky



Series: Hope In Front Of Me [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Asexual Obi-Wan Kenobi, Autistic Youngling OC, Gen, Non-Binary Youngling OC, Not A Happy Ending, Obi-Wan is good with kids, Post-Order 66, because this isn't the ending (shh), use of ASL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23355871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innocent_until_proven_geeky/pseuds/innocent_until_proven_geeky
Summary: Obi-Wan needs to leave Pova somewhere safe before he travels to Mustafar to confront Anakin.
Relationships: Dexter Jettster & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Character(s)
Series: Hope In Front Of Me [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1679788
Comments: 6
Kudos: 62





	Before the Refiner's Fire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lisianpeia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisianpeia/gifts), [primasveraas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/primasveraas/gifts), [FlyingFreeYT](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingFreeYT/gifts), [spaghett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaghett/gifts).



> A Pova sequel! And even better: there will be more! How's them apples?

Did Dex know?

Obi-Wan had managed to sweep Pova through passages from the Temple out into Coruscant, beyond where the members of the 501st were beginning to guard the building. Tears stung his eyes when he looked back for a moment, but then it was about Pova again. It had to be about Pova for a few more minutes.

He reached out for their hand, and to his surprise, the tiny Mirialan took it easily. Holding it tight in his grip, he dragged Pova quickly through Coruscanti crowds, taking lifts down into the lower levels and back up again, doubling back whenever he felt the inkling of danger from the Force.

“Where are we going?” Pova eventually asked, out of breath and tugging on Obi-Wan’s hand.

Obi-Wan turned to look at his young charge. Pova’s pink skin had flushed a little, and they were panting. He knelt so he was at Pova’s eye level. “Do you need a break, little one?” he asked gently.

They nodded, but tilted their head. “You never answered my question.”

Obi-Wan looked around, his chest heavy with paranoia and anxiety and the fear of hysteria--what a funny thing that was--before speaking up. “We’re going to my favorite place in CoCo Town. Do you know where that is?”

Pova pursed their lips. ‘Not in the lower levels.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t contain a little bit of laughter at Pova’s deadpan, but when he saw their face he stopped. “That wasn’t meant as sarcasm, was it?”

Pova shook their head, a little confused.

“I’m sorry, little one. I’m still learning.” Obi-Wan smiled. “You are right, CoCo Town is not in the lower levels. I’m just trying to make sure we aren’t being followed. We’re very close, now, though. Just a few more blocks. Can you do that for me, little one?”

Pova nodded wearily--they seemed to prefer nonverbal communication where they could manage it--and followed Obi-Wan through the remaining thick crowds of tourists and people just starting or ending their shifts.

When they reached Dex’s Diner, Obi-Wan hesitated, apprehensive. He didn’t know what he was about to find. And then he pushed open the door.

The Besalisk looked up from behind the counter and raised two of his arms in celebration. “Obi!” he cried. “I was wondering if I’d see you again!”

Obi-Wan allowed the smile to tug at his lips. He certainly had missed Dex, and wondered quite the same thing. “It’s wonderful to see you too, Dex. But please, can I ask you to call me Ben?”

Dex came out from behind the counter to wrap Obi-Wan in a massive hug, speaking as he went. “Of course you can! Anything that will help you.” When Obi-Wan didn’t hug back with both arms, he backed off. “Are you alright?” He scoffed. “That was a stupid question. I heard about everything around at that Temple you call home. Tell me, O-Ben. What can I do for you?”

Even trying to be somber, Dex was just excitable; Obi-Wan almost forgot about the galaxy falling to pieces around him for a moment. But then Pova tugged on his hand again, eyes wide and glassy, and Obi-Wan remembered.

“Dex, I’d like you to meet Pova,” he introduced. “Pova, this is my friend Dex.”

Dex lowered himself to Pova’s eye level and took in their appearance. “This ain’t your kid, is’e, Ben?”

“No, they are not my child,” Obi-Wan said.

“They. Sorry, kid.”

Pova removed their hand from Obi-Wan’s and wiped their left hand with their right twice before tucking further into Obi-Wan’s side.

“You sign, kiddo?” Dex asked, completely ignoring his old friend. “Good, good. I know I can be a little loud sometimes, but I’ll sign with you.”

Pova’s face lit up, and they looked up at Obi-Wan.

“I’d like you to watch Pova for a little bit, if you can,” Obi-Wan suggested. He tried to keep the pleading out of his voice; he wasn’t sure it was working. “I’m going--I’ll be going away for a little bit, and they don’t have anyone else right now.” Obi-Wan looked back down at Pova, who was perhaps even happier than just a moment before. “You’re okay with that, little one?”

“Yes,” they said, a tiny voice.

Dex grinned, a massive, face-splitting smile that made Obi-Wan feel like maybe everything would again be normal someday. “I’ll take the kid off your hands for a while, Ben. I’ll protect’em with my life.”

“I’m hoping it won’t come to that, my dear friend.” Obi-Wan knelt to Pova’s level and took their shoulders, turning them to look at him squarely. They dropped their gaze from his eyes immediately, but in their short time together he had come to learn that this meant they were listening. “Pova, I trust Dex. He will do everything in his power to keep you safe, but you have to help him, okay?”

They nodded.

“Good. I want you to stay in the kitchen with him. That way, if anyone comes in looking for you, and it’s not me or Master Yoda, they’re less likely to find you. Do what he says, okay? It might be difficult or stressful, but he has protected me many times before, and he wants to protect you now.”

Pova nodded again. Obi-Wan held his arms out, inviting Pova in for a hug, and after a moment the little Mirialan obliged, wrapping their hands into the folds of Obi-Wan’s tunics.

“Be safe,” Pova said when they finally backed away, eyes misting. They crossed their fists in front of their body, then swung them wide.

“You too, little one,” Obi-Wan replied, mirroring the sign. “I will be back before you know it. Now go into the kitchen--see if you can find where Dex keeps his Sic-Six-layer cake.”

Pova pulled away fully from Obi-Wan and rushed into the kitchen with all the enthusiasm a child should have for sweets. Obi-Wan’s look softened.

“So they’re not your kid, eh?” Dex said, watching the child run off. “Didn’t think so, seeing as you’re smitten with that clone of yours and neither of you are allowed to adopt.” Obi-Wan could swear he heard a mutter of, “What a sentient-rights violation,” but he ignored that part. There were more pressing matters at hand.

“No. Pova is the only survivor I found from the Temple.” He felt the stab of betrayal again. “Anakin slaughtered them all, Dexter,” he murmured.

Dex pulled Obi-Wan into another tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, Ben. What’re you gonna do now?”

Obi-Wan sighed. “I have to go after him.”

Dex scoffed. “You can’t be serious!”

“You’ve sent me after bounty hunters on Kamino but I can’t go after my former apprentice and try to bring him back?” But Obi-Wan knew that Dex knew exactly how different this was. “He has a wife. She’s pregnant. I have to try.” He wriggled out of the hug, feeling entirely undignified, and turned back to the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. If I’m not back, watch over Pova, all right?”

“Of course, Ben.” Dex gave him a sad smile. “But I bet I’ll see you in about two weeks.”

“I certainly hope so, my old friend.” Obi-Wan gave Dex a little salute out of habit, and pushed out into the world. He had to make it onto Padme’s ship before she left.

**Author's Note:**

>  **ASL**  
>  As a normally-verbal autistic person, I've been trying to learn sign language for the times when I'm nonverbal or low-verbal. (Also, since I work retail, I'm trying to learn it so I can communicate with Deaf and hard of hearing customers.) I imagine that Pova, whose autism is a little more noticeable than mine, would use sign language as well. Unfortunately, unless I am mistaken, we don't know a whole lot about Jedi hand signals or anything like that, so I pulled out my ASL dictionary, figured out how Pova would use sign language, and did my best to describe! In order of how they appear in the fic, here are the ASL dictionary descriptions of the two signs I used.  
>  _Forgive:_ the right hand wipes off the left palm several times  
>  _Safe:_ the "S" hands, crossed in front of the body, swing apart and face out  
> If I have any Deaf or hard of hearing readers who sign and would like to help me better use ASL in my fics with Pova and potential future Deaf and hard of hearing characters, DM me at my tumblr under innocent-until-proven-geeky. I would totally love the help (and would love to learn how to sign myself!).


End file.
